Harnessing Peer Connections and Group Study for Better Socio-Psychological Academic Outcomes in Lagos Secondary Schools

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of peer relationships and group study on the socio-psychological adjustment and academic performance of secondary school students in Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria. Adopting a quantitative, cross-sectional explanatory and correlational design, data were collected through a structured questionnaire that incorporated validated sub-scales on peer relations/peer pressure, socio-psychological adjustment, and brief personality traits. A total of 250 students, male and female, were selected using simple random sampling from five public secondary schools in the area. To provide a theoretical foundation, relevant literature on family factors and academic performance was also reviewed.Five null hypotheses were formulated and tested using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at the 0.05 significance level. Descriptive statistics, including percentages and frequency distributions, were employed to summarize the demographic and background characteristics of respondents, while inferential statistics established the relationships among variables. The findings revealed that: (1) parenting style significantly relates to adolescents’ academic performance; (2) peer group pressure does not significantly influence maladaptive behaviours of adolescents across socio-economic status; (3) parental socio-economic status has a significant effect on students’ academic performance; (4) parental educational background significantly influences students’ academic outcomes; and (5) personality traits do not significantly predict students’ academic or social adjustment.Based on these results, the study recommends strategies such as greater parental involvement in children’s education (irrespective of socio-economic background), structured counselling modules to mitigate negative peer influence, and economic empowerment programmes for low-income families to enhance students’ academic achievement and overall socio-psychological wellbeing